I remember late in 2019 during one of our monthly business meetings, turning to Lydell and saying “ Babe, this is going to be the best year ever, 2020 is going to rock our socks off!” Little did we know at the time there was a massive “event” brewing just below the surface. A few months later Covid would hit and we, along with the rest of the world, would be left wondering what the heck just happened. But through all of the uncertainty, and anxiety came so many blessings and opportunities disguised in misfortune. So, instead of harping on the bad, I’m excited to share my biggest triumphs of 2020, the things that seemed impossible or just out of reach and the things that, when I look back on the person I was in 2019 I can honestly say, “I’m proud of who you have become.” So Here we go, I’m so glad you’re here and I’m so honoured to share this with you. Let’s dive in.

ONE | MY SHOP

When Covid first hit I, along with the rest of the world took a gigantic pause. Everyone was stunned and we all needed a little breather before repositioning ourselves. This couldn’t have been more true for real estate. One-by-one my clients started to disappear and my booming bustling service-based graphic design business started to disappear right before my eyes. I was scared, shocked and to be brutally honest felt completely ill for a good week. But then, like I have trained myself to do, I picked myself up and asked, what CAN I do right now to move myself and my business forward? I remembered my big goal for 2020 was to start a passive income stream, a way I could move away from one-on-one and instead help a wider audience with affordable templates and design. I began to see this lull in my business as a blessing in disguise. I had all the time in the world to get my shop up and going, something that, if I’m being honest, seemed impossible pre-covid, especially with my over-packed schedule. A month later I had a new profitable shop and my pivot into a product-based business was on its way. I don’t ever want to forget how good it felt to make lemonade out of lemons and to realize a dream that had been stirring beneath the surface for years. So number one on this list of wins is definitely my Esty shop.

My Advice: See every single setback as an opportunity and always ask yourself “now what?”

NUMBER TWO | INSTAGRAM

in 2019 I was trying to figure it all out, I knew I had to be more intentional with my Instagram but had no idea where to start. Again, with the lull in my service-based business, I had the opportunity to really dive deep into the Gram and experiment with all kinds of things to see what worked best. I worked on my aesthetic, my voice and become super intentional with how I could leverage Instagram for business. I wanted to use Instagram as a way to serve. I wanted to use Instagram as a way to connect. I wanted to use Instagram as a way to show up and say hello to new people. And when I stopped trying to sell and started trying to connect and serve, everything shifted. It’s been a really interesting thing to witness how effective Instagram can be for business. When you are thoughtfully engaging, business just comes. And now with an arsenal full of tips and tricks and failures and wins, I am moving into 2021 ready to share with you what worked and what didn’t so you can rock Instagram for real estate. Stay tuned!

My advice: sign up for my VIP Insiders so you never miss a tip or trick!

NUMBER THREE | SAYING NO

This is huge and something I would recommend to any creative or realtor. Learn to say no to things that don’t serve you and say yes to anything and everything that does. I am so proud of myself for making this transition into the world of “NO”, 2019 I said yes to everything, every job, every opportunity, every shiny object. When Covid hit, I had to prioritize and had the opportunity to create better workflows and systems that allowed me to see just how overworked I was and how little time I had to grow my business. I was so busy working in it that I didn’t have any time to work on it. That’s when the word NO started popping into conversations and emails. I said no to smaller projects, I rejigged my offerings and I no longer said yes to projects that were energy draining. I cut my workload in half and here is the big drum roll moment. I made MORE than I was making before. I finally realized that saying yes to everything and everyone was draining my energy levels and keeping me from scaling my business so with all this extra time and energy I could focus on growing my business, which is exactly what I did, and I highly recommend it to anyone who has ever felt overwhelmed by their work.

My advice: Take a step back and ask yourself what you need to say no to, and then say no to it.

NUMBER FOUR | GOING PLANT BASED

Time to shift gears and make things personal! In October, just around my birthday, I decided to take the plunge and go plant-based. I had been toying with the idea for years but always told myself “I love cheese” how will I ever be able to do this. Then I signed up for a course (which had nothing to do with plant-based eating) and met a wonderful lady who had been plant-based for 27years and she inspired me to start thinking of all the things I could eat and stop thinking of the deprivation. Seriously, she’s amazing you can follow her HERE. I can tell you, friend, I’ve never felt better in my life! If you know me, you know I am always on the hunt to bio-hack my body. I am always on a quest to be my best, to feel healthy and alive and I can honestly say that plant-based eating is the closest I’ve ever felt to complete and total health.

My Advice: The Game Changers on Netflix is an amazing place to start if you want to learn more about the benefits of plant-based eating.

NUMBER FIVE | MORE ME TIME

2020 was the year of Melanie. I prioritized myself like never before and part of that was making really strong lines in the sand that divided me from work and social media. I used to wake up and instantly grab my phone to see what I had missed while I was sleeping which put me in a state of excitement the moment I woke up. I was at this heightened level throughout the day and not in a good way. I felt anxious, depressed and just uneasy. Then one day I decided to prioritize my time and created an iron-tight morning routine that involved not looking at my phone and focusing fully on spending time with …myself! I found so much peace in this routine that I made it a non-negotiable. Now, instead of feeling anxious I feel rested, I feel focused and I have so much mental clarity throughout my day. I highly recommend setting up your own morning routine. Here’s a peek at mine:

• Wake up 530
• Read
• Exercise
• Run
• Journal
• Meditate
• Green Juice
• Start work at 8 am (which is when I first look at my phone)

My Advice: Carve out some time just for you, you deserve it, your work deserves it, your family deserves it.

NUMBER SIX | RUNNING

And last but not least, running. Lydell and I started running as a way to de-stress from covid I had told myself for years that I couldn’t run because of my weight, because of my asthma because because because! So when I first started I felt like I was having a heart attack, I couldn’t breathe, my legs felt like they were broken. I honestly thought I just wasn’t cut out for running. But I stuck with it, and now I LOVE it. I’m still slow, I still couldn’t run a 5k but I’m so happy just being out there doing it. I love having that little kick of energy in the morning. It’s an amazing way to start my day., and for the girl who told herself every limiting belief excuse known to man, I have to say I’m kinda diggin’ her go get it attitude!

My advice: Try something today that you never thought you could do or were scared to do. You might just surprise yourself.